NameCensus.

UK surname

Dracup

An English surname derived from a regional word meaning "deep ditch" or "winding stream".

In the 1881 census there were 298 people recorded with the Dracup surname, ranking it #9,765 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 262, ranked #16,256, down from #9,765 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Calverley, Bradford and Whalley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Gloucestershire and Calderdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dracup is 378 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 12.1%.

1881 census count

298

Ranked #9,765

Modern count

262

2016, ranked #16,256

Peak year

1901

378 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dracup had 298 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,765 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 262 in 2016, ranked #16,256.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 378 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Dracup surname distribution map

The map shows where the Dracup surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Dracup surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dracup over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 188 #10,939
1861 historical 213 #11,419
1881 historical 298 #9,765
1891 historical 314 #10,694
1901 historical 378 #9,862
1911 historical 377 #9,719
1997 modern 301 #13,492
1998 modern 311 #13,550
1999 modern 314 #13,556
2000 modern 306 #13,742
2001 modern 296 #13,842
2002 modern 310 #13,697
2003 modern 299 #13,850
2004 modern 283 #14,418
2005 modern 278 #14,511
2006 modern 273 #14,804
2007 modern 270 #15,080
2008 modern 267 #15,349
2009 modern 264 #15,798
2010 modern 276 #15,637
2011 modern 287 #15,044
2012 modern 280 #15,248
2013 modern 279 #15,574
2014 modern 280 #15,621
2015 modern 270 #15,911
2016 modern 262 #16,256

Geography

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Where Dracups are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Calverley, Bradford, Whalley and Bedford St Paul. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Gloucestershire and Calderdale. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Calverley Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Whalley Lancashire
4 Bedford St Paul Bedfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Gloucestershire 008 South Gloucestershire
2 South Gloucestershire 014 South Gloucestershire
3 South Gloucestershire 010 South Gloucestershire
4 South Gloucestershire 007 South Gloucestershire
5 Calderdale 003 Calderdale

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dracup

These lists show first names that appear often with the Dracup surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dracup

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Dracup, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Dracup surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Dracup household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Dracup is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dracup is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dracup falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Dracup is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Dracup, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Dracup

The surname Dracup has its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the village of Drakelow in Derbyshire, which was formerly known as "Dracalawe" or "Drakalawe" in Old English. The name is thought to have evolved from the Old English words "dracan" meaning dragon and "hlaw" meaning hill or mound, referring to a hill or mound resembling a dragon's shape.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Dracup can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which lists a certain William de Drakalawe. This document was a census-like record of landowners in England at the time. Another early reference to the name appears in the Subsidy Rolls of 1332, where a Robert de Drakalawe is mentioned.

In the 16th century, the surname began to be spelled more consistently as "Dracup" or "Drakeup." One notable bearer of the name during this period was John Dracup, a merchant from London who was born around 1520 and died in 1585. He was involved in the lucrative wool trade and left a substantial estate upon his death.

The Dracup name was also present in the Yorkshire area during the 17th and 18th centuries. One notable figure was William Dracup (1670-1738), a landowner and Justice of the Peace in the West Riding of Yorkshire. Another was John Dracup (1725-1799), a prominent clergyman who served as the Vicar of Ecclesfield in Yorkshire.

In the 19th century, the name spread further across England and beyond. A notable bearer was Joseph Dracup (1808-1895), a successful businessman and philanthropist from Sheffield. He made his fortune in the steel industry and donated generously to various charitable causes in his later years.

Another notable individual was Emily Dracup (1867-1940), a British suffragette and activist who campaigned for women's rights and the right to vote. She was involved in several high-profile protests and was arrested multiple times for her activism.

Throughout history, the Dracup surname has been associated with various occupations and professions, including merchants, landowners, clergymen, industrialists, and activists. While the name originated in a specific area of England, it has since spread to other parts of the country and beyond, with bearers making their mark in various fields.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dracup families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dracup surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 259 Dracups recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.96x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 259 8.96x
Lanarkshire 10 1.06x
Bedfordshire 9 5.96x
Lincolnshire 7 1.50x
Northumberland 6 1.38x
Hampshire 4 0.67x
Lancashire 2 0.06x
Royal Navy 1 2.88x
Suffolk 1 0.28x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Horton In Bradford in Yorkshire leads with 148 Dracups recorded in 1881 and an index of 327.87x.

Place Total Index
Horton In Bradford 148 327.87x
Bowling 17 59.38x
Thornton In Bradford 14 145.53x
Manningham 13 36.51x
Bradford Girlington 11 852.71x
Shipley 11 73.33x
Barony 10 4.19x
Bedford St John 9 3913.04x
Bradford 9 12.86x
North Bierley 8 51.28x
St Peterat Gowts Lincoln 7 106.71x
Tong 7 125.45x
Elswick 6 17.32x
Eccleshill 5 71.12x
Clayton 4 56.58x
Cleckheaton 4 37.56x
Portsea 4 3.41x
Dewsbury 2 6.75x
Halifax 2 4.71x
Oldham 2 1.79x
Pudsey 2 12.95x
Ecclesfield 1 4.72x
Rotherham 1 6.14x
Royal Navy 1 3.37x
Wickham Market 1 68.03x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Dracup surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 17
Martha 12
Hannah 10
Sarah 10
Alice 8
Emma 8
Elizabeth 7
Annie 5
Ellen 5
Maria 5
Clara 4
Emily 4
Ruth 4
Ann 3
Harriet 3
Jane 3
Edith 2
Eliza 2
Frances 2
Rose 2
Selina 2
Ada 1
Amanda 1
Bertha 1
Betty 1
Catherine 1
Clary 1
Easher 1
Emiline 1
Ethelwynn 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Florry 1
Grace 1
Helena 1
Henrietta 1
Lavinia 1
Leah 1
Lily 1
Louisa 1
Lura 1
Lydia 1
Mabel 1
Margaret 1
Matilda 1
Nancy 1
Pivletta 1
Polly 1
Priscilla 1
Zillah 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Dracup surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
George 10
John 7
William 7
Robert 5
Alfred 4
Edmund 4
Harry 4
Isaac 4
James 4
Joseph 4
Arthur 3
Charles 3
Edwin 3
Eli 3
Fred 3
Abraham 2
Albert 2
Benjamin 2
Chas. 2
Dan 2
Epraham 2
Ernest 2
Ezra 2
Frank 2
Fred. 2
Herbert 2
Jesse 2
Miles 2
Nathaniel 2
Samuel 2
Smith 2
Adam 1
Bottomley 1
Brigg 1
Christopher 1
Edward 1
Enoch 1
Ephraim 1
Frederick 1
Harrison 1
Harvey 1
Henry 1
Isrial 1
Jabez 1
Jonas 1
Lister 1
Lot 1
Paul 1
Robt. 1
Willie 1

FAQ

Dracup surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dracup surname in 1881?

In 1881, 298 people were recorded with the Dracup surname. That placed it at #9,765 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dracup surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 262 in 2016. That gives Dracup a modern rank of #16,256.

What does the Dracup surname mean?

An English surname derived from a regional word meaning "deep ditch" or "winding stream".

What does the Dracup map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Dracup bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.